Hey!

How It started?

Honestly, while I don't come from a long line of chefs or restaurant owners, one of the main ways that my family often came together growing up was through food, music, and laughter which inspired me to create a space that both uplifts and feeds those who choose to visit my little space on the web!

As a child, I grew up an EXTREME picky eater (I honestly believe it was actually an eating disorder----ARFID aka Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) which lead to high levels of anxiety + depression around food and in general. As I got older (around 11 years old), I began getting in the kitchen more every day after school and taught myself how to master simple dishes like chicken wings and biscuits. Around 13 or 14, I began mastering things like pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Then around high school, cheesecake became the first dessert I nailed while dating my then boyfriend (now hubby) to impress him---Haha. Eventually, cooking + baking became my "therapy" as I coped with the emotional/verbal abuse, + alcoholism within my household throughout the years.

FAST FORWARD-----Shortly after starting my own family in 2016, I began experimenting even more with cooking (using very little to create "much") since we were going through major financial troubles as new parents and couldn't afford takeout or high-quality ingredients for a good period of time. However, I eventually stumbled upon a real passion for food blogging (and sharing my journey of my love of food) and thus Orchids + Sweet Tea® was born in full swing!

While on my Postpartum Journey, one of the changes to my body was that I became super sensitive and intolerant of dairy + gluten in conjunction with other challenges [Endo-type pain, hair loss, teeth issues, etc]. Countless doctor visits resulted in no solution (or at least one that didn't require that I be committed to hormonal medication to regulate things) until I finally decided to lean into my Faith in Jesus, create changes in my lifestyle, incorporate certain supplements, and adjust my diet as a way of holistic healing.

THE PROCESS: A whole lot of prayer and a TON of research on self-care, therapy (for emotional healing), healthier eating options/substitutions, + home remedies that helped my body on it's road to recovery and move things along in my Postpartum healing journey. We're talking things like going vegan (for a short period) then transitioning into substituting meat a few times a week, essential oils for skin, hair, and body; understanding the right foods to eat + to eliminate (i.e. dairy, gluten, sugars, etc.), herbal teas and supplements, incorporating exercise (no matter how small---and I mean SMALL. Haha), and a host of other things. Yes, it's still a journey, but a journey that I'm learning to embrace, love + eat through; one plate and recipe at a time! Xx